


The Thieftaker.

by Ngaire_Taylor



Category: Wolverine (Comics), X-Men - All Media Types
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-02
Updated: 2017-12-02
Packaged: 2019-02-09 19:17:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,615
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12894924
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ngaire_Taylor/pseuds/Ngaire_Taylor
Summary: An experiment....., like all of my work... and an old oneTranslations for my very bad attempt at French at the end





	The Thieftaker.

**Author's Note:**

> An experiment....., like all of my work... and an old one
> 
> Translations for my very bad attempt at French at the end

The Thieftaker.  
I am a thief. I am a thief, it’s not what I do… it’s what I am. I am a thief, and a Damn fine one. I am one of the best thieves in the world… never been caught… never not made a pinch. No other thief comes close to me in my particular field. I am a Damn good thief. At least that is what I am trying to convince myself tonight. At the moment I am hanging from a rope at least ninety feet off the ground, and wearing virtually nothing… and the rope is… fraying. I regretted taking this job from the get go, but the price was worth it… at least I had thought the price was worth it, at the moment I am revising that assessment even as the rope frays further, it won’t be long before it completely dissipates, dumping me in a courtyard full of partygoers, and bodyguards. However bitching about what could be was not going to get me out of this predicament. Swearing in at least half a dozen languages I take a deep breath and… let go. Now I know what you are thinking… ninety feet? Nobody can survive such a drop… it would break nearly all the bones in a human body. Well I have an alternative… and a reason for wearing only a collar… after all cats fall such distances all the time and don’t get hurt… much. It is a curious fact that cats in Singapore often fall out of apartment windows up to 20 stories above the ground – and survive. I guess I am about to test that theory out… right now.  
I can feel the bones change first… they are always the first thing to shift. The feeling of turning into fluid continues, a sharp pain at all of my joints and an ungodly itching inside my skin tells me that the change is in full swing… I open my eyes, watching the ground coming up to meet me. Never changed on the fly like this before… I’m curious as to which will be first, the change… or the splat. I feel the change completing… however I am not finished yet… the effect of a cat the same weight and mass as a human will still do a lot of damage if they fall the same distance. So I ‘up’ my trick and… suddenly a very small, very cute black house cat falls on a table… well actually in a large bowl of trifle. However I’m not going to complain. My entrance, though unusual and very dramatic, causes very little panic and half an hour later I am sitting in a kitchen beside a bowl of warm milk, clean and nicely fluffy. You would be surprised at the effect a clean warm coat can make on a person. Licking my paw I could tell that the night was picking up. All I have to do now is wait until everyone goes to bed and let myself out. After all you do put the cat out at night don’t you?  
Lying in bed later that night I take the tab from my collar off and pull out the thing I had spent the last week working on. It didn’t look like much; however the microchip I had in my hand was worth over a mil. in pounds sterling. I pick up the phone and dial, the phone is answered almost immediately, “tomorrow night… 10… Caesars” there is no reply from the other end; then again I hadn’t expected any. The phone may be attached to an answering machine for all I care. The only thing that mattered was the money; and someday I might even believe that. Turning over I turn off the bedside table lamp and start to doze off, interrupted only by the intrusion of a couple of small furry bodies jumping into bed. Moving over to make room I drift off to sleep.  
Waking the next morning at the sound of the front door opening, I open an eye only long enough to confirm that it is Sophia; she will feed the kits, before coming in with a hot cup of coffee for me. I roll over and stretch, since employing her three years ago I had become lazy with certain things, and hot coffee first thing in the morning was one luxury I find I just cannot go without. Sophia makes amazing coffee, I stretch and get out of bed, walking over to a chair I grab my robe and head out to the kitchen. Sophia looks up with a smile, “felt like something solid this morning… how about whipping up some of your famous eggs?” Sophia nods and opens the fridge door, grabbing what she needed she turns back to me “Tab… are you going out later on today?” I nod, “well can you take the B.M.W? The Roles needs to go in for a tune up” I just nod at that and continue reading one of the papers that were laid out on the kitchen bench in front of me.  
I had a staff of three, Sophia cooks me breakfast everyday and does general cleaning, Henry was married to her and acted as my driver and Paul looks after the penthouse gardens and does general handy man ‘stuff’. I was spoiled, they looked after me like a princess. They thought they knew me – what they didn’t know was that I knew that they also work for someone else. Sophia works for the British Org. Black Ops, and her speciality was poisoning, probably why her eggs were to die for. Henry, works for a branch of S.H.I.E.L.D., and was rated as one of their best pilots, he knows how to kill someone six ways using only his shoelaces; and Paul along with being a fairly good thief works for my grandfather, he was Das’ right hand before I was born. I use to wonder if they knew about each other, now days I just don’t care.  
A few hours later I was sitting in a booth in Caesars waiting for my contact. Bord, I ordered a cup of coffee, Caesars was famous for two things, the steak and the coffee. I had finished the first cup and had started the second when the contact turned up. He was alone and carrying a suitcase, Damn. I preferred wire transfers, however many people seamed to insist on cash. I waited for him to sit down, slowly sipping my coffee, “Tal…” He put the case on the table and turned the handle to face me.  
”You going to explain what this is now?” I said placing the microchip on a plate in the middle of the table, sliding it out between us.  
He smiled… a nasty smile, “Actually it is a transmitter… Tabathia”  
At his mention of my real name I stood up, I did not know if I was going to run or fight. Suddenly my body feels like its on fire, my stomach… as if someone had stabbed me; and I cannot seem to stand up straight. I collapsed, my hand going to my mouth, trying to stop the heaving sensation; I look up at the person I knew was responsible. He was standing over me, a smirk on his face. Just then I throw up, there’s blood… too much blood. I feel faint; the last image I had was his face following me into the dark.  
I awake to one of my worst nightmares; I am strapped down to a table, someone has cleaned me up, the faint smell of disinfectant is the only thing I am wearing. Someone is standing in front of me. I know even before opening my eyes where I am. Just over six years ago while looking for my mother, I had met a man claiming to be an uncle. He drugged me and I had found myself in a lab somewhere under New York City. He had done some things to me no relation should do to another… at least not without needing to be on Sally Jessie, I had been fourteen at the time. I had escaped only through an extremely lucky break, however not before he had left a mark or two on me. I felt a hand brush against my right breast, the handprint that my ‘uncle’ had branded onto me always seems to fascinate people; it is one of a matched set. The hand is withdrawn and I hear him leave the room, I open my eyes… yep, nothing changed. Nothing ever changes in these places, I often wonder if mad scientists buy their furniture from the same person or in bulk or something. I wonder idly how they had smuggled me out of Madripoor. I start to work on the bonds holding my hands in place; this time would be different… I am not going to go through what happened last time again.  
Last time I had escaped I had been seven months pregnant and not entirely… myself. I had fled north, travelling at night, never leaving cat form, travelling until I had left civilisation well behind me. I don’t know if I would have ever come back from where I had ended up, if someone hadn’t shot me. I survived, the hunter and my daughter didn’t… I was lying in the snow waiting to die when I was saved, both physically and in many ways spiritually. The man who found me didn’t say much; he cleaned me up and fed me… some time later I indicated my desire to leave. He gave me a lift to town and a card with a number of a rape crisis centre on it, on the back was another number. I never spoke to him, never found out his name and never rang the number. As far as I know the card is lying in a draw in my office at home somewhere. When I left, I did so to find some revenge… I never did find my ‘dear uncle’ after months of intensive and expensive searching I settled down in Madripoor and started a small art gallery and Internet café. Da spent a lot of time and money trying to get me to come home… I refused; instead I let him send Paul over to watch over me. He was still not happy, however he didn’t try to kidnap me… at last not after the first dozen or so attempts failed. Besides… I go visiting family every year without fail.  
I had managed to undo the straps on my hands before someone came in to check up on me, for some strange reason lackeys for evil monsters are always stupid, checking his corpse I gain a change of clothes and a gun. Shaking my head in disgust I check out the corridor, seeing it’s clear I take a few moments hiding the body and checking out the room I awoke in, my hand going to my neck… the lack of a collar was unnerving, however I knew the risks of putting it back on, finding nothing useful I leave. This time I’m not running… this time I’m taking revenge. Walking down the corridor I try to remember the layout of the complex I turn right, only to find that I might not be where I thought I was after all. The tall man standing in the centre of the room with his back to me was unfamiliar, and while I could see my ‘dear uncle’ from where I was standing. It was clear that the unknown man in the centre of the room was in fact the person in charge. Curious… I enter the room to my right before they can turn and see me. Looking around I see myself in another lab, tied to another table is a man. I am about to walk over and check him out when I hear footsteps coming this way; opening a door just behind me I duck into a cupboard.  
They walk into the room and over to the table, I listen to them talking over the body lying on the table. The taller man seems very upset ant my ‘uncle’ he appears to want to do things to his person that makes me want to get out a notepad and take notes. They talk for a few moments and leave, the last impression I get is that the taller man is leaving and wants the man on the table sent to him as soon as his people turn up. I wait a few moments and walk over to the table to get a better look. Damn. Le Beau, what the hell is he doing here? Knowing that an unconscious man can tell you very little and smirking a little at his state of dress – or rather undress. I reach over and undo the straps holding him down. Looking around I quickly strip off the pants I had conveniently borrowed from my former guard. Tossing them across his midriff, I reach up and give the poor boy a very satisfying kiss unfortunately, just as it was getting interesting he opens his eyes and pushes me away with a hand to my throat.  
"Quoi?" I sighed in exasperation; obviously hoping he was not going to be a problem was too much, oh well as they say no good deed goes unpunished. I smiled, I wasn’t going to leave him but I didn’t have to tell him that.  
”Would you have preferred a good slapping? I can still arrange that… look we are in an underground lab somewhere and the goon squad were about to drag your skinny ass off to do horrible things to it. And while we don’t know each other personally my Da, knows your Dad and I think both would be very upset if I have to tell them how I am going to leave you… if you don’t wake up and get dressed… and quickly.” Just as I make the last comment he must have heard the guards coming down the corridor. I take up a position to one side of the door and nod to him as he takes an almost identical position on the other side. The footsteps run past the doorway and continue down the corridor. I was about to take a deep breath in relief when an ungodly klaxon starts up.  
Damn, they must have found me missing and the body. I look over at my companion he looks calmer, more in control of himself since getting dressed… I feel a need to snigger… men. Hopefully he will live up to his family name, and not get us killed. I take a gun from my shirt pocket and checking that the safeties are on toss it to him. He looks at me in curiosity, however this is not the place to explain… and we run out of time. As the first goon enters the room I change my hands ripping his throat out, I look up to see that Le Beau has taken out the other. I nod down the corridor and indicate the second door to the left. We proceed; I spend a second to briefly thank the entity looking after fools, small children and thieves that he wasn’t causing a fuss… yet. Unfortunately there was still a lot of time left for that… especially when he finds out what I have planned.  
Five rooms… a dozen or so generic thugs later we find ourselves in a room that is cross between a showroom from a furniture catalogue and a boardroom from Wall Street. I guess you need somewhere to go to plan to take over the world… or whatever mad scientists do when they get together. I am bleeding fairly freely and have lost most of a sleeve… I had spent a lot of the time while looking for this room trying to stop Le Beau from acting like a dead hero, so you’ll understand if I am fairly pissed off by now. And the person who is going to help me act out my anger is standing only a few feet from me. No I was not having a good day… however it looks as though it was going to improve… any minute now.  
He looks at us in fear, I can see him thinking… panicking. I smile; I think that was when he… snapped. He turns and runs. Well I was not going to have any of that, I pull out a knife that I had ‘acquired’ during my brief trip here and throw it. The knife flies through the air straight and true, it hits my target dead on. Straight through the spine into his neck, he falls over as if he was a puppet who has had his strings cut. I am walking over to check out my handy work when I notice other people entering the doorway at the back. I ignore them, time enough to deal with them later… if needs be. I turn the body over to see his lifeless eyes staring up at me, I feel strangely empty… strangely unfulfilled. I want to shake his body; I want to scream into his face ‘WHY?’ I had stumbled across this man… this creature while looking for my mother. He had contacted me with promises of information claiming to be my mother’s brother. All I have of her is a memory of her handing me over to my Da, telling him that I was his sons’ offspring. She then turned to me giving me a kiss and tells me that she has to go and that she cannot take me with her, but that she loves me very much. That is all I have of her that… and a necklace. I guess that it’s still a lot more than what I have from my father… all I have from him is a pretty urn filled with ashes, after what mother did to him… cremation was just finishing the job. Well I did mention that my family could go on Sally Jessie.  
I reach over my dear ‘uncles’ body and take the necklace off, putting it back where it belongs. I usually attach it to my collar however as I am not wearing it the chain will have to do. All of this has taken only a few moments; I straiten up and turn to look at the newcomers. My eyes widen in surprise, recognising the short one, however my memory refuses to tell me exactly where and when… oh well I’ll probably remember, most likely it will be really late at night in a really inconvenient place. They appear to know Le Beau, good they can look after him now, I was sick and tired of babysitting his skinny ass… no mater how good the package that came with it was. The tall one with glasses looks very unimpressed… well he can… just then the short one speaks up “So gumbo… made a mess I see” he is trying to hide a smirk… very unsuccessfully.  
Le Beau just shakes his head in the negative; it looks like he often gets blamed. I don’t know why but that ticks me off, I turn to the group “NO… this is mine…this was a… private party. Take your friend and leave, I am sick of babysitting him anyway” At that comment a few members of the group look at me again, I can tell that the short one is trying hard not to laugh, Damn… still can not remember where I met him before. I shrug “Every girl needs a hobby, the generic thugs outside were trying to stop me from having a pointed conversation with my ‘uncle’ here… A VERY pointed conversation” I turn and kick the body as a helpful pointer of whom I was talking about. I was starting to feel faint, I wanted to quickly tie this up and leave. Somewhere out there was a hotel room with a shower just calling my name… a call I was determined to, no… needed to answer. “And if you want to know who killed HIM… it was ME… with the knife… in the back… in the lounge… Well kiddies… nice meeting you, and all. Must remember to never do this again sometime” I was having difficulty focusing “go to go now… there is a hot shower and a bed with my name on it… somewhere and I intend to hunt it down” I turn to leave out the door that my ‘uncle’ had had his heart on going through, I sway almost falling. Grabbing a chair nearby I feel a hand on my shoulder, blinking I see that it is the short one, Damn I must really be out of it for him to be able to get as close as he did. I smile at him “I know you… don’t I… well nice meeting you… go to go… by by”  
He looks at me in disgust, “Look lady, the only place ya going is to a doctor”  
I pull away at that a sweat starting up, the last thing I want is a hospital, they have a habit of giving you drugs, and my body reacts… strangely to them. I can consume arsenic like it’s a new sugar substitute, yet aspirin of any type nearly kills me. The thing slipped me in my drink back in the coffee shop was probably only a children’s aspirin. You give a cat an aspirin you kill it… it goes into convulsions and bleeds to death. Paul had often stated that my love for extremely strong Turkish coffee would kill me one day; today he was nearly correct, the important word being nearly. “No… I’ll be fine… no hospitals… no…” And then to my embarrassment… I faint.  
I am having a nightmare… it is a bad one. I am back in the lab and someone is leaning over me. I feel a touch on my thigh… it is enough to make me want to scream… makes me want to throw up… makes me want to kill. I knee the person and slide off the table… I recognise no one in the room the walls are pulsating… changing… everything is moving, nothing stable. I back into a corner… I try to concentrate… it’s so hard. I put my hand to my face I am sweating heavily, I feel dizzy, my hand… my body is shaking, convulsing… I can hear my heart race… I cannot focus… I sense someone near me I turn and hiss… making my body a small as possible I try to change… blinding pain… I feel like I am falling… I try to grab something… anything… the last thing I notice is a far off voice shouting, “Shit McCoy what did ya do?” then blackness.  
I awake to the smell of roses, I am lying in a large bed, it is in a sunny room, there is a light breeze coming from the window, the breeze caries the sent of roses to me. There must me a rose garden nearby. I sit up, noticing that I am dressed in a light blue cotton nightie, I stand up pleased that I feel no dizziness. Looking around the room I notice a doorway leading to a bathroom, striping I proceed to enter the bathroom, checking out the damage that is left on my body from last night. A hot shower feels like a good idea right about now. I sigh with content, going as far as washing my hair, after the shower there are fluffy towels… whoever these people are they can’t be all that bad if they have fluffy towels. I walk back into the bedroom drying my hair; waiting for me is a tall red-haired woman. I smile; she smiles back, well ok so far… I put a hand out, might as well introduce myself after all can’t have complete strangers running naked around the place. If I’m nice she might just feed me. “Tab”  
She shakes my hand “Jean Summers, pleased to meet you… I take it that you are after some form of clothing?” I nod “Would you like a dress or jeans?” as Jean was talking she was walking over to a set of cupboards “there are a variety of styles for you to chose from, I’ll come back later and take you downstairs if you want” I shake my head I never took long dressing besides I needed information… the sooner the better. I walk over to the cupboards and pick out jeans and a blouse, Undies are no problem and luckily I didn’t really need a bra… all that climbing you know. I turned to Jean as I am finishing doing up the blouse “where am I?”  
”You are at Xavier's school for the gifted, just outside Salem Centre, when you passed out last night we brought you home with us” I frowned at that, it was so embarrassing, so cliché… like a twisted ankle or screaming at a mouse. I noticed that Jean was getting a bit uncomfortable I smiled at her, she must be sensitive or something “Well I guess you people want some information… can’t promise much… however won’t say no to something to some eats before your intergradation starts” I notice her wince, she smelt slightly guilty as well; interesting… obviously someone here has already suggested some ways of persuasion, and by the way she acted it was either her or it would have been involved her somehow… very interesting. Jean walks out the door and I follow.  
After a nice lunch of fresh salad, bread rolls and muffins, the residence of this ‘school’ gather in a large room I heard someone call ‘the war room’ it is a lot like a conference room. Apparently, there is a store that sells the furniture that mad scientists and megalomaniacs buy, these people shop there as well, then again just thinking of the board rooms on wall street I don’t know why I’m so surprised. Everyone sits down around the large table, I look at the gathering nearly everyone was briefly introduced to me over lunch. To my right is Jean then Scot her husband, he was the tall imposing, unhappy man from last night, and he is still wearing glasses. To his right is Hank; he is apparently a doctor… I feel uneasy around him, it’s not the way he looks; he looks a lot like the cookie monster… very cute, it’s the way he smells, he has the smells of chemicals and labs. At Hanks right is a happy young man called Sam, then a tall sultry woman called Storm then LeBeau. After LeBeau comes another young man called Bobby, then the short man who keeps annoying me… I know him… I just don’t know where, I at least have a name now… Logan, next to him are two women, an Asian woman with a British accent called Betsy and a southerner called Rogue, Rogues accent is as strong as Sam’s or LeBeau’s all three of them coming from somewhere south of the Dixie line. The last person in the room being Professor Xavier, and the only others being two guys called Warren and Bishop were elsewhere as well as someone called Marrow. Thirteen of them great… I wonder who has the Jesus complex amongst them.  
I always hated situations like this in the movies it seems unfair to the newcomer, now that I am in such a situation I know that it is unfair. The only thing that has kept me here after lunch is finding out where I know Logan from, I have been thinking about how we could have met since seeing him last night… however no luck so far. That and the fact that my necklace is missing… again. Well it just means we both have something each other needs I will answers up to a point, however the price for my cooperation will be the return of my property. I looked at the professor “Well to get this circus ride going, I’ll tell you now that the return of my property is my 1st priority… would someone hand it over?” I looked around the table at those present more than one of them looked unconfutable “after all I did not ask for any assistance… and I know that I had it last night… you aren’t going to condone theft of a… sorry, FROM a helpless young woman now are you?” at that comment LeBeau gives a small snigger, this in turn gains both of us a sharp look of rebuke from Scott, well I think it was a sharp look… it’s hard to tell while he is wearing those glasses. I am staring at Scott waiting for a reply when I notice that Logan has started walking towards me, he has a strange look in his face… it is one that I know I’ve seen before, out of his pocket he pulls a strip of material… it is a dark blue, almost black… I know that material. It has been over three years since I wore it last… it is one of my collars. I remember that I was wearing it the night that I went to met my ‘uncle’ for the first time… I had still been wearing it the night I lost my daughter. I looked up at him… my memories coming back… I know who he is… I remember what he did. And I still cannot forgive him. “You” I spat “why you…” I could fell the change taking over, my body screaming at me, the sharp pain a relief from the dull aching throb in my heart… my soul. He stops, watching me wary of my hands I can feel the itch in my claws, the need to rip out his throat. I can tell that many of the others are surprised at the change yet I also note that that has not stoped them from taking defensive positions. I take a deep breath and stop the change, yet kept it where it was. Turning around I picked up the chair that had been knocked over in my anger, putting it back in place I stay standing. Reaching over I picked up the collar, putting it on I smile at him. “I still don’t forgive you for what you did” He shrugs at that, I can tell that more that one of the others in the room is feeling more than curiosity. The smell of frustration and suppressed anger is thick; knowing how frustrating it can be to know only part of the conversation helps me gain a better perspective on the situation. Logan looks at me, “ya kept putting ya hand to your throat… I remember that ya would… fret if ya collar was taken off ya… so I thought ya might want this back… even with the memories it might bring back” I felt uncomfortable I felt that something was needed to be said, I take a deep breath “Look I am going back in a few months… you can come with me… if you want” He looks away and then back very quickly I could see that he has a question that he wants to ask me “Yes I still visit… I guess that’s why I was so surprised at being taken when I was… I always thought he would attack me while I visited Kitten. Last time I was there I noticed fresh flowers… was that you?” He nods his head “I still don’t forgive you… I miss her every day… if it wasn’t for you I would be there beside her… I’m not sure I can ever forgive you for that” at my last comment I hear Jean take a breath in pain… Logan must have told her something about my past… either that or she is a sensitive… I guess she has lost someone as well.  
I look at the professor… he hadn’t moved or reacted at all during this, “well are you going to return my necklace?” He looks over at Hank, who pulls out my necklace from a pocket and holds it up for everyone to see; placing it on the table he asks me “would you be able to inform us as to the precise nature of this valuable and alluring object?” I shrug; I never knew where my mother came from or where she went… not even my grandfather knew that, and Da had spent a lot of time and money in the search, especially after he found out that mother was the person responsible for killing his son… I remember when I had told him… that he had given me a hug and held on to me as if afraid that he would loose me as well; we had sat that way for over an hour.  
The necklace in question has a strange ability, when you hold it changes it’s shape, if you want to wear it as a necklace a chain appears… if you want to wear it as a broach it changes into a broach… I usually wore it as a pendant attached to my collar in the shape of a key. However when you put it down on the table and wait it becomes a disk about three inches in diameter with a symbol on the facing side, I have looked for that symbol everywhere… but have not found it anywhere. “It’s my mothers… and no you can’t ask her where she got it… as far as I know… she’s dead” at my announcement several of those present take a sharp breath. I look at the professor, he seems shaken to the core, at this I feel mildly amused “any reason… or just idle curiosity?”  
”So you don’t know what this symbol means?” The professor points to the disk lying in front of Hank, he smelt both angry and upset.  
”No… it’d didn’t come with a manual… and mother did not talk about it… the only thing she said was that it was the key to her heart… and the second most precious thing she knew of… she then disappeared, and at six years of age I didn’t really think about asking… besides, she was very upset… she had just killed my father to stop him from killing us… and she had to leave me. Why… do you know? I have spent the last few years looking for the meaning… hoping to find out what happened to my mother.”  
”This symbol is Shi'ar… it is not from earth… it means… ‘Thief taker’… it is worn by a very few… they are members of a secret organization, a lot like undercover police.”  
I stare at him in disbelief… me a child with an assassin for a father… ME, a thief… has a cop for a mother. I stare at him for another few seconds then I start to laugh… it starts off small however It quickly becomes an uncontrollable fit and I have to sit down again… the idea that a thief has an extraterrestrial cop for a mother… someone must have had a screw loose to have thought this one up.  
I am still laughing at myself… and this situation hours later. I am sitting in a pub nursing a beer; the room is dark, damp… dank. The smoke in the air is so thick that you can cut it with a knife, there is a smell of unwashed bodies and stale beer, despite this I knew the instant he walked in the room. I wait for him to come over to the bar; gaining the attention of the guy behind the bar I indicated another two of what ever I’m drinking. The stuff they serve here is so bad I’m not even going to acknowledge this as a proper bar, or him as a bartender. Sighing as he sat down “what are you doing Le Beau, this has nothing to do with the guild… and your not family… not really. And you don’t fool me with the idea of you being a hero… we both know better… go away… it’s better that way.” There is a pause as the guy behind the bar puts the bruskie and chasers in front of us. I finish off the one in my hand and start on another, out of the corner of my eye I see Le Beau indicating something at the guy behind the bar I growl in anger as guy behind the bar indicates how many I’ve had. I polish off the drink in my hand and reach for the other when Le Beau grabs it taking a swig. I nearly grin at the look on his face… he coughs. “Jesu petit… C'est terrible… this be bad… non” I grunt in reply hoping that he would go away, the guy behind the bar puts two bruskies and friends down in front of us.  
“Well Cher, I guess we know why your Da never let you… join… ya think he knows?”  
I shake my head… that was the first thing I did. The conversation with the old man had been very interesting, apparently mother had left him a letter. In the letter along with a lot of money for me in an account, she had written that she knew exactly who he was… and that I was not allowed to become a thief for the guild… ever. It must have been near impossible for him to do… after all I did become a thief. I know that Da had been terrified that I would leave him and become an assassin just like his son; I also know that family means everything to him, and that loosing his son twice had nearly killed him. That’s why I could not tell him… after all if I’m an alien, I might not be who we thought I was… and I could not let him loose me like that. After all I did not want to loose me… not… not like that.  
We sit like that for a while in silence when the door opens again I notice that we both wince and take a drink to cover the action up. Le Beau winces again this time at the taste, I can understand that… the booze here must be the worst I’ve ever had… and I’ve had some pretty bad booze in my life. Logan saunters up to the bar and indicates to the guy behind the bar, he comes over with a beer; I notice a look of respect in his eyes. I swear under my breath no wonder they knew where to find me… I’m in one of his hangouts… my luck doesn’t seem to want to give me a break.  
“You can just go to hell, and take your buddy Le Beau with you… I’m not going back… don’t care what your boss can tell me… don’t… don’t won’t to know… go away” I toss the chaser down and start on another… I’ve just given up on the beer… indicating to the guy behind the bar to bring a bottle of the strong stuff over. He puts it down and I was about to pour myself a large one when Le Beau grabs it. Growling in anger I turn to tell him that he better give it back or I’ll kick his but when everything starts to spin… I start to grab the countertop when I notice that someone else has grabbed me… and is holding me up. This was getting to be a habit… a bad one, and I was feeling like I should break it… or something, starting with Le Beau. I am starting to wish that I had left him where I had found him. “Damn it Le Beau what did you give me… you son of a…” he cut in on the start of my tirade, with an innocent look… and words that could melt in your mouth ”Why Cher why do you think that… yu’ wound me”  
”’Cause I haven’t had that much to drink you…” it was at that point that I really start to feel what ever Le Beau slipped me, the last thing I hear before darkness takes me away is Le Beaus’ voice saying “Te bile pas mec… the petit… she can almost out drink you non… I was only assisting…”  
I awake in the same room that I did the day before, and sure enough the same breeze is bring me the same smell of roses as it did the day before… I hope for a minute that yesterday was just a bad memory when my senses pick up the other person sitting in a chair a few feet from me. She is very quiet… I can tell that she has been sitting still watching me for some time. I open my eyes sighing I turned to look at Storm. I didn’t want to be here… I didn’t want to feel the way I do… I didn’t want to feel anything. I closed my eyes and sat up, turning my back to Storm I got out of bed and walked over to the window, I could feel Storm tense up as I leaned out of the window… yep, there was the rose garden. We stay like that for a few moments… I stood beside the window; my eyes closed feeling the sun on my face, smelling the scents brought to me on the breeze. The moment was broken by the arrival of professor Xavier I turn to face him, I could tell that my attempt to hide how I feeling was failing… well tough, I didn’t know how I suppose to feel but I take the anger I was and run with it “Well professor I guess this is where you tell me you know where my mother is… that you can take me there… and that she has a good reason for deserting me… and we’ll live happily after… just like I’ve always dreamed of… just like she never left… one big happy family…” but he’s shaking his head ”No… I’m sorry dear… I’ve contacted the Shi'ar Imperium they told me very little including where your mother is… she was suppose to return home… however she never arrived… she’s still missing… not even Lilandra… the empress knows more. However it is thought that it would be best for you to return home to Chandilar” I had to stop this right here right now… otherwise it was going to get out of hand… and quickly. ”No… look right here… I am not going anywhere with you… and especially not to someplace called Chandilar; I am not whatever you said earlier… Shi'ar… I was born here… I grew up here… my daughter is buried here… I AM NOT leaving here to go gallivanting off through space“ I crossed my arms. Xavier sighed, “No you are not Shi'ar” I was a bit surprised at that “not everyone in the Shi'ar Imperium is, your mother and in turn yourself are members of a small group called Feli’ tig. They are a feline species that specialise in police and sensitive army work for the Imperium… your mother was sent here on a fact-gathering mission when she disappeared… knowledge of her presence and subsequent disappearance was kept quiet… such knowledge was considered dangerous… the Imperium kept looking for her… however knowledge of you was a complete surprise and many back on Chandilar now want to meet you” I could tell he was trying to be friendly… however I was not. ”Well that changes NOTHING… and now… I am going for a shower… the place I ended up last night was dirty and I fell a need to get clean… so unless you are going to join me… I suggest you leave…” and with that I grabbed a change of clothes out of the cupboards and went for a shower.  
Two hours later I was sitting in an empty kitchen drinking a beer from the fridge, I noticed that my minder had changed from Storm to a tall angry looking man – Bishop, great… for some reason he appears to personally hate me… I wonder if he ever smiles. I finish the beer and go for another just as I’m grabbing a cold one I notice that Logan is entering the room, without looking around I grab a second and turning around place it on the table. Opening mine I take a swallow… “Well as your not Le Beau you might as well find a seat… mind you I’d fix that habit you have of picking up unconscious women the way you do… might me bad for your health one of these days…”  
”Ya didn’t seem to be in a position to argue at the time…” he opens the bottle and takes a deep swig “bit early to be drinking… isn’t it”  
”Na… it’s late somewhere… I think its late back in Madripoor… by the way any chance in finding out what you guys were doing down there that night… you looking for the fool standing behind me or what? And you might as well sit down… but get your own beer Le Beau… the booze may have been bad but you…” I stop and take another swig at the beer… my anger and frustration was controllable at the moment… but if I can’t get drunk the idea of a fight was starting to look better and better.  
”Actually petit… we was looking for you…“ he gives a big cheesy grin, at that I snort so suddenly that beer starts to come up my nose…”Ya right… pull the other one, after all… your really Scott’s long lost brother as well eh?” I hadn’t known Scott or most of the others for very long but I knew that Scott and the Cajun were as opposite as you get, I wasn’t the only one who thought that ‘cause Logan gave him a strange look, and then proceeded to laugh over his beer. Le Beau tries to gives us the evil eye, but I think our laughing put him off “na… look you two why were you really there… not that I can really complain… but you know about cats and their curiosity… after all you don’t want me to get bitchy on you do you?” Logan stops his laughing, shaking his head he gives Le Beau a look “actually he’s telling the truth… we received a call on the number I gave ya… I had expected it to be ya…” at that he gives me a look as to ask why I had never used that number… I guess that he found out that I never used the clinic either… then again I had been a bit busy trying to find and kill someone… “It was someone called Sophia, she was looking for ya… a few hours later we also received a call from  
Mr. Sheridan looking for ya as well… when he called we went looking for ya… Gumbo here thought that a contact of his might have known something…” He shrugged his shoulders. “When he went missing we started looking in the old Morlock tunnels… when we started to find bodies we guessed that it might be the right place… so we followed them…”  
”I would have only crippled most of them… but I was in kinda a hurry… an ‘sides, I spent most of the time keeping the kid here from trying anything stupid… he kept trying to fight them… even after I gave him a piece… fool should have kept back and plugged ‘em…” At that comment Logan starts laughing again and Le Beau starts muttering some select curses about fools and their… well it was in French and I don’t think that the translation does it any justice. “So you guys going to keep me under house arrest until that professor of yours can contrive a way of kidnapping me off planet… won’t work… as Logan knows… if I don’t want to be or go somewhere I just don’t” Mind you it had me five attempts to walk to the nearest town before he gave me a lift… I can be very stubborn… sometimes.  
”Look Petit, the professor is… like everyone else… just worried about you, he believes that you should talk to the people who knew your mother… after all she didn’t just leave her necklace for you for no reason… Comprendre-vous? It may be that what they can tell you is important…” At that I looked away from them and out the window… I didn’t want anyone to know how much this was affecting me… I had buried my mother along with my little girl in the woods… and now I find out that she might still be alive… I didn’t know what to think… how to feel…  
”Chérie… Comment alez-vous… ” At LeBeau’s invitation to talk I turned around and focused on my hand on the table. I did not know how I was to start… taking a breath…  
”I... I... Je me sens... terrible… triste… Je me sens que... a confondu… ma mère... encore vivante... il est quelque chose que je n'ai pas pu croire... pendant longtemps... très long un temps… I... I... Pas… ”  
”Hey… hey… English fellas… this Canadians’ French is a bit rusty… what ya gabbin on about now?” I paused at that protest… It had been difficult to try to explain the first time… now I didn’t know what to say… the silence grew as I contemplated the lines on my hand.  
”She is saying that she feels… bad… sad… and confused… and that the idea that her mother could still be alive…” Le Beau pauses, at my continued silence he continues “is… frightening… is something that she had… hoped for but can not really believe…” At that comment I nod agreement. At that translation I look up at Logan, I could tell that he was about to comment. Just then Jean walks in and gives the boys a look “We have… visitors in the professors study… for you” she says looking at me on the last comment.  
As I walked to the study I ran through the list of people that might be waiting in the study… it wouldn’t be Da – at this time of the day he would be in a meeting or two, however he might have sent a guy from Sheridan enterprises, it also would not be Sophia, Henry or Paul… they had spent there time looking for me in Madripoor, when I had contacted them Paul was at the police station getting Henry out of jail and Sophia had moved into the penthouse to look after the kits… I asked her to stay where she was until I got back. There wasn’t anyone else I knew… however with my luck it would be some one from the Shi'ar Imperium telling me to come ‘home’… I guess they will be in for a surprise.  
Sure enough it was someone from the Shi'ar Imperium, it was in fact the empress… someone called Lilandra Neramani, however I was the one surprised… not only was she a hologram… she also had a relationship with the professor… I guess he isn’t as cold and remote as he appears to be, especially if he can keep a long distance relationship going… and the way they looked at each other when they thought no one was looking… it was a very warm and loving relationship.

**Author's Note:**

> The thieftaker – translations
> 
> “I… I… I feel terrible… sad… I feel confused… my mother... still alive... it's something that I haven't been able to believe... for a long time... a very long time… I... I... Don't…”  
> ”I... I... Je me sens... terrible… triste… Je me sens que... a confondu… ma mère... encore vivante... il est quelque chose que je n'ai pas pu croire... pendant longtemps... très long un temps… I... I... Pas…”
> 
> French English  
> Alors so / just now / in that case  
> Arrêté Stoped  
> Au revoir So long  
> Bête Beast  
> Bon appétit good appetite  
> Bonjour Good Morning  
> C'est terrible That's terrible  
> C'est trés bien That's very good  
> Chien Dog (that's also an insult)  
> Cher Dear  
> Chérie Darling  
> Comment alez-vous How are you  
> Comprendre-vous? Do you understand me?  
> D'accord I agree  
> enfant child  
> Fantastique Fantastic  
> Homme Man  
> Ici here  
> Je m'excuse Excuse me  
> Je pense I think  
> Les enfants the childrem  
> Mademoiselle Miss  
> Ma femme My wife / my woman  
> Merci Thanks  
> Mes amis My friends  
> Mes braves My braves  
> Mon ami My friend  
> Mon amour My love  
> Mon chef My boss  
> Mon Dieu My God  
> Mon frère My brother  
> Monsieur Sir / Mr  
> Monstre Monster  
> N'est ce pas? Isn't it?  
> Non Not / no (at the end of a phrase, it can mean "isn't that right?")  
> Oui Yes  
> pardon Forgive me / sorry / excuse me  
> Petit little (one) / short (one)  
> S'il vous plaît Please  
> Te bile pas mec Cool down  
> Très bien Very well  
> Une question One question  
> Un pièce de gâteau a piece of cake
> 
>  
> 
> Fuck Baise  
>  Fool Imbécile  
> Idiot Idiot  
>  Inept Déplacé  
> Shit Shit
> 
> I really need a drink J'ai besoin vraiment d'une boisson  
> I really need a smoke J'ai besoin vraiment d'une fumée
> 
> Go screw yourself Disparaissent la vis vous-même
> 
> Having fun? Avoir l'amusement?
> 
> I’m coming Je viens where are you? où êtes-vous?
> 
> I’m here where are you? Je suis ici où êtes vous?
> 
> Lets get out of here… before it’s too late Laisse sortir d'ici... avant qu'il soit trop tard
> 
> Too late Trop tard drop baisse
> 
> Duck canard oh… very funny l'cOh... très drôle
> 
> Where’s here? Où est ici? Found you Trouvé vous
> 
> Stop acting the fool Cessez agir l'imbécile
> 
> Thats let the cat out of the bag Thats a laissé le chat hors du sac
> 
> Cat scratch Brouillon de chat
> 
> Claws griffes
> 
> need any help? ayez besoin de n'importe quelle aide?
> 
> So cruel Si cruel Tempting Tentation
> 
> Next time prochain le temps
> 
> don't... don't touch me pas ... ne me touchent pas
> 
> I… I… hurt I... I... blessent it hurts il blesse
> 
> Mother it hurts so much Mère qu'il blesse tellement
> 
> Mother… please don’t leave me… don’t leave me… not again  
> La mère... svp ne me laissent pas... ne me laissent pas... pas encore
> 
> coffee any good? café un bon?
> 
> i'll have a cup j'aurai une tasse
> 
> did't you know cats have nine lives did't que vous connaissez que les chats ont les neuf vies  
> did't you know… cats have nine lives did't que vous connaissez que... les chats ont les neuf vies
> 
> You can never find a cop when you need one   
> Vous pouvez ne jamais trouver une cannette de fil quand vous avez besoin d'un
> 
> Yes… and when you don’t need one… they all turn up  
> oui... et quand vous n'avez pas besoin d'un... ils tout le tour vers le haut
> 
> you would steal candy from children… you shit… I’m not like that  
> vous voleriez la sucrerie des enfants... vous shit... Je ne suis pas comme cela
> 
> a good thief doesn't leave anything to say they were there  
> un bon voleur ne laisse rien à dire qu'ils étaient là
> 
> mother… why ? why did you leave me? mère... pourquoi? pourquoi m'avez-vous laissé?
> 
> I love you Je vous aime
> 
> No… never needed one before Aucun... jamais n'a avant eu besoin d'un


End file.
